1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a paint-by-numbers kit, and more particularly to a paint-by-numbers kit with water-based paints and paint-by-numbers coloring books or coloring pages employing water-soluble disappearing color guide numbers and water-insoluble outlines and color separating lines.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Paint-by-numbers kits, for both children and adults, are well known. Most paint-by-numbers kits utilize coloring books having color guide numbers printed with water-insoluble inks on the not yet colored drawings. In order to assure that these numbers do not show through the applied colors, opaque paints are used. Although this type of paint conceals the guide numbers, unless a user exercises extraordinary care, some of the paint encroaches and obscures the outlines defining the drawings and on the lines separating different portions of the drawings that are to be differently colored. This obliteration of the outlines and/or color separating lines is particularly undesirable when the drawing to be colored is a cartoon-like one in which the outlines and color separating lines are an integral part of the completed picture and should remain visible.
When the paints provided with the prior paint-by-numbers kits are not opaque, another problem occurs. The guide numbers remain visible after the drawing is colored, marring the appearance of the completed picture.
One attempt to overcome the disadvantages set forth above was to print the drawing to be colored without any numbers for guiding the user in color selection. The user was shown what color to paint each portion of the drawing by including in the kit a miniature version of the picture, pre-painted with the appropriate colors. Although this system avoided the aforementioned problems it too was not without drawbacks. Due to the miniature size of the pre-painted picture it often was difficult to see what portions were to be painted with what colors, particularly in small areas. Further, when a number of the colors were similar a user had difficulty ascertaining which of similarly colored supplied paints should be applied to the different portions of the unpainted drawing. Additionally, the printing of a miniature pre-painted picture increased the cost of manufacturing the kit. This system, further, did not prevent obliteration of the outlines and color separating lines.
The use of non-water-based paints in the prior art kits created other problems. If a user accidentally applied paint to his hands, it was not easily washed clean with soap and water. If paint was accidentally applied to furniture, which was not that unusual when the kit was used by a child, an even bigger cleanup problem arose and sometimes the soiled furniture could not be cleaned at all.